On June 18th, Prairie STEM brought the magic of Augmented Reality (AR) to the first graders at Nelson Mandela Elementary School—and their imaginations absolutely took off! Using an engaging and age-appropriate AR app, students were able to blend the digital and physical worlds in real time by placing computer-generated images into their own environment.
Whether they were adding roaring dinosaurs to their cafeteria, driving cars around a lunch table, or feeding a dog on the floor, students had the power to place, scale, rotate, and animate the images with just their fingertips. These digital objects didn’t just sit still—they moved, responded, and became part of the students’ creative stories.
To help students understand what they were doing, we also explored the difference between Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).
We explained that:
- Augmented Reality (AR) adds computer-generated images to the real world around you.
- Virtual Reality (VR) takes you entirely into a computer-generated world, where everything you see is virtual, and you interact within that environment using special headsets and controls. They were able to use VR headsets the two weeks prior.
Students quickly grasped the difference and loved being able to around, see and use AR on ipads. They giggled as they took pictures of their friends “posing” with AR animals and recorded fun videos of themselves interacting with Ninjas or on the moon. They discovered how to manipulate the digital elements and began creating their own short scenes, combining technology skills with storytelling.
Throughout the lesson, students learned:
- What “augment” means—to add to or enhance something
- How AR and VR are used in the real world—from games and entertainment to science, design, and even medicine
- How they can be creators using technology, not just consumers
By the end of the session, students weren’t just playing—they were thinking critically about how these technologies work and imagining where they might go next.
At Prairie STEM, we’re passionate about making complex technologies exciting and accessible for even the youngest learners. This AR experience brought smiles, sparked curiosity, and left the 1st graders at Nelson Mandela Elementary eager for more tech adventures—now with a solid understanding of both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality!
